THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
89 
From the Sa vannah Republican. 
Dried Carolina Figs. —Mess?-s. Editors.- For 
some time I have been ofthe impression, that as 
good figs could be prepared in Georgia and Car- 
olina as the imported . Accordingly, last season 
I prepared a quantity, not for market, but for 
family use. As fig season is approaching, and as 
the crop has the appearance of being an abundant 
one, I give you, for the benefit of fig growers, m> 
plan of preparing them. Gather thefigs with the 
stems to them, before they are fully ripe; have 
a syrup prepared either of brown or white sugar; 
and •.vhile boiling, put in your figs and let them 
remain till they become flat, wh ch will be in a 
few minutes ; take them out, put them on a dish 
or tray, and place them in the sun; after they 
have drained, place them in another tray, taking 
care to turn them ; let them be turned and gent- 
ly pressed down twice a day. Two or three days 
sunning is sufficient to cure them. Before box- 
ing them, have some well dried oaf sugar sifted 
upon them — box them, and they are ready for 
use. It is important that they are not allowed 
to stay too long in the boiling syrup — if they do, 
they can never be properly dried. 
I contemplate sending you a box this season 
for exhibition in the Savannah market. 
Carolinian, 
Books for a Farmer’s Library. 
In the Ohio Cultivator we find a list of books 
on Agriculture, and kindred subjects, prepared by 
request, for the use of Farmers, Clubs, or of in- 
dividuals having the inclination to spend a little 
money in the purchase of such things as books. 
We transfer it to our columns for the benefit of 
our readers, having first made such corrections 
and additions as were necessary to make it suit 
our purposes and views. 
Agricultural Periodicals are unquestiona- 
bly the cheapest and best foundation for a farm- 
er’s library, embracing, as they do, the whole 
range of practical and scientific knowledge on 
almost all subjects relating to the farm, the 
garden, and the household. We would, there- 
fore, commence by subscribing for two or three 
or more of the following works, (supposing, ef 
course that the Southern Cultivator, is on 
hand:) The Albany Cultivator, (Si per year) 
including the two past volumes ; The American 
Agriculturist, (SI) with the three past volumes ; 
The Genesee Farmer, (50cts,) current volume ; 
Skinner’s Farmers’ Library, (S5) current volume 
— this embraces republications of several foreign 
works of great value, and should by no means 
be omitted ; The American (Quarterly Journal of 
Agriculture and Science (SI,) with past year’s 
volume — a work of high order. To these should 
be added any journal that is particularly adapted 
to the region or style of farming, as the Prairie 
Farmer, tor the West, the Southern Planter, 
and Southe’-n Agriculturist, for the South, &c. 
Oa Agricultural Chemistry, c^c. — Johnston’s 
Lectures is the best work — 2vols,Sl SOorl 75. 
As introductory to this, and especially for young 
persons, and those not familiar wdth chemical 
science, the Catechism of Agricultural Chemis- 
try, (25ets.) and a little work called Elements of 
Agricultural Chemistry and Geology, by the 
same author, (50cts.) are very useful. These 
embrace all the valuable discoveries of Liebig, 
and other chemists, and are much more easily 
comprehended by farmers— though persons who 
wish to become thoroughly scientific farmers, 
should of course add to these, Liebig’s Chemis- 
try of Agriculture, and his Animal Chemistry — 
the cost, in good style, is SI or SI 25 each. 
Next, we would add a recent work, called Rural 
Economy, by Dumas and Boussingault — SI 50. 
Then there are several excellent little works on 
the subject of manures and tillage, such as 
Dana’s Muck Manual, Smith’s Productive 
Farming, the Farmers’ Mine, &c., costing only 
25 or 37 cents each, and well worth a place in the 
library. 
On general subjects, the Farmers’ Encyclope- 
dia, by C. W. Johnson, a very large and com- 
prehensive work, is indispensable to a good 
library — price $4; and Gardner’s new work, the 
Farmers’ Dictionary, (SI 50) must also be in- 
cluded. Then there are a number of smaller 
works of much practical value, such as Buel’s 
Farmers’ Companion, American Farmers’ In- 
structor, by Wiggins. The Complete Farmer, 
(by Fessenden.) &c , costing 75 cents to S '■ each ; 
Ruffin’s essay on Calcareous Manures; Ham- 
mond’s letter on Marl ; Reports on the Geologi- 
cal and Agricultural survey of South Caroli.ia 
by Ruffin and Tourney ; Essay on the soils and 
available manures of Georgia, by J. R. Cotting. 
On Cattle, Sheep, (f-c. — Youatt’s Treatise on 
Cattle, is the most complete— $2 or 2 50; Skin- 
ner’s edition of Clater and Youatt’s- Cattle Doc- 
tor — 50 cts. Stewart’s Stable Economy 1 25; 
‘Every Man his own Farrier,’ (Clater’s) 50 cts.; 
‘Morrell’s American Shepherd,’ 61, and last, 
though not least, ‘Bement’s American Poulte- 
rer’s Companion, 61 25. 
On Horticulture. — We would have ‘Bridge- 
man’s Young Gardener’s Assistant,’ 61 50, or 
‘McMahon’s American Gardener,’ 2 25, [and we 
should like to add ‘Downing’s Landscape Gar- 
deninff.’ if it were not for ihe expense,] ‘Down- 
ing’s Fruits and Fruit Trees,’ must certainly be 
included, 62; though, if this cannot be ob- 
tained, ‘Thomas’ Fruit Culturisi’ — 50 cts. — can 
be made to answer as a substitute; or Kenrick’s 
American Orchardist, which is better. Nursery- 
men and Florists will need to extend this list. 
To the foregoing list, there might, with pro- 
priety, be added works on sciences intimately 
connected with agriculture — as geology, botany, 
entomology, mechanics, philosophy, &c. — some 
knowledge of which, should be possessed by 
every w'ell-informed, scientific farmer. 
But we find that our list already embraces 
about 35 volumes, the cost of which would be 
about 50 dollars; and fearing that a larger list 
might alarm those for whom it is designed, we 
will add no more at present. 
Public Property. 
We like very much the following suggestions, 
made by the Rev. Mr. Beecher In the Western 
Farmer and Gardener, ofw'hich he is the editor. 
Every one living in a town or in the country may 
consider them as addressed directly to himself. 
It is positively a sickening sight to see the 
condition of the streets, side-wulks, public 
squares and shade trees of many of our villages, 
and of the roads, fences, and yards, around many 
houses of great pretension in the country; so 
much so, indeed, so far as the villages are con- 
cerned, that travellers from parts of the U. Slates 
where these things are properly attended to, will 
often turn aw'ay wdth loathing and disgust, pre- 
ferring to lodge in country taverns. 
It is still more sickening to see such advertise- 
ments as have lately appeared in the newspapers 
of Macon and Athens, about depredations com- 
mitted on the new cemetry of the former, and 
the Botanic Garden of the latter. Both, we fear, 
will have to be given up in despair, simply be- 
cause people, pretending to be respectable, will 
not keep their hands off what does not belong to 
them, and what, therefore, they have no right to 
touch. 
[From the Western Farmer and Gardener ] 
Protect Public Property. — What if it does 
concern every body' else as much as it does you? 
Some one ought to see that the tences about the 
square or common are kept in repair. Some 
one ought to save the trees from cattle. Some 
one ought to have things in such trim as that the 
inhabitants can be proud of their own town. 
Pride is not decent when there is nothing to be 
proud of; but when things are worthy of it, no 
man c?n be decent w’ho is devoid of a proper 
pride. The church, the school-house, fences, 
trees, bridges, roads, public squares, cide- walks— 
these are things which tell tales about people. 
A stranger can hardly think well of a place in 
which the distincuon between the house and the 
hog-sty is not obvious ; in which every one is 
lazy when greediness does not excite him, and 
where general indolence leaves no time to think 
of the public good. 
When politicians are apparently on the point 
of dissolving, in the very fervent heat of their 
love for the public, it would recover the fainting 
soul quicker than heartshorn or vinegar io ask 
them — Did you ever set out a shade tree in the 
street ? Did you ever take an hour’s pains about 
your own village? Have you secured it a 
lyceum? Have you watched over its schools ? 
Have you aided in any arrangements for the re- 
lief of ihepoor? Have you shown any practi- 
cal zeal for good roads, good bridges, good side- 
walks, good school-houses, good churches? 
Have the young men in your place a public libra- 
ry ? 
If the question were put to many distinguish- 
ed village patriots, w'hat have you done for the 
public good? — the answer wmuld be, “Why, I’ve 
talked till I’m hoarse, and an ungrateful public 
refuse me any office by which 1 may show my 
love for public interest in a more practical man- 
Hcr.” 
In the same paper, Mr. Beecher gives us a 
short, pithy article on spring work for public- 
spirited men, as follows: 
From the Western Farmer and Gardener. 
Spring work for Public-spirited Men — 
Shade Trees. — One of the first things that will 
require your action is the planting of shade 
trees. Get your neighbors to join with you. 
Agree to do four times as much as your share, 
and you will, perhaps, then obtain some help. 
Try to get ?omc to do the same in each street of 
your village or town. 
Locusts, of course, you will set for immediate 
shade. They will in three years afford you a 
delightful verdant umbrella as long as the street. 
But maples form a charming row, and the au- 
tumnal lints of their leaves and the spring flow- 
ers add to their beauty. They grow quite rapid- 
ly, and, in six years, if the soil is good and the 
trees properly set, they will begin to cast a de- 
cided thudow. Elms are, by far, the noblest tree 
that can be set, but they will have their own 
time to grow. It is best, then, to set them in a 
row of other trees, at about fifty or a hundred 
feet apart, the intervening space to be occupied 
with quicker growing varieties. 
The beech, buckeye, horse-chestnut, syca- 
more, chestnut, and many others may be em- 
ployed with advantage. Now, do not let your 
court house square look any longer so barren. 
Will not the commissioners do, as they have 
done in Marion county, set out the space in shade 
trees at the public expense? If they will fol ow 
so creditable an example, pray don’t imitate the 
manner. Some tw'enty rows of trees stand up 
w’ith the most distressinge-vactness. They were 
laid out by a surveyor with his chain, and do 
not vary, we believe, an inch from a straight line. 
Avenues may be lined with row's of trees ; but 
squares and open spaces should have’ them 
grouped or scattered in small knots and parcels 
in a more natural manner. 
Mutton. 
We sincerely hope Mr. Allen will be as good 
as his word. The habits of our people in regard 
to diet need reform, nearly as much as in any other 
respect. If Mr. ALLENshall succeed in expelling 
from use the never-ending hog and hominy of 
the West, and the bacon and collards of the 
South, he will be entitled to the never-ending 
gratitude of the people. In a late number of his 
paper, the American Agi iculturist, he ple.lges 
himself thusi 
“We mean to repeat at least a thousand times, 
or till what we say has some effect upon our 
countrymen, that a pound of lean, tender, juicy 
mutton can be raised for half the cost of the same 
quantity offatpork; that it is infinitely health- 
ier food, especially in the summer season ; is 
more agreeable to the palate w hen one gets ac- 
customed to it; and that those who eat it be- 
come more muscular, and can do more work with 
greater ease to themselves than those who eat 
fat pork. We know nothing more delicate than 
smoked mutton hams of the Southdown breed of 
sheep— venison itself is not superior. Sheep can 
be kept in fine growing order, where other do- 
mestic animals will scarcely exist, and thousands 
of acres in the State, under an enlightened sys” 
tern of sheep husbandry, may be made to pay a 
good interest, where now they are nearly dead 
property in the hands of their present owners,” 
